Multimodal Fusion for Trust Assessment in Lower-Limb Rehabilitation: Measurement Through EEG and Questionnaires Integrated by Fuzzy Logic

TL;DR

This study shows that combining brain activity and self-reported trust with fuzzy logic improves trust assessment during lower-limb rehabilitation.

Contribution

A novel multimodal trust assessment method using EEG and questionnaires fused via fuzzy logic is proposed for rehabilitation.

Findings

EEG-based scores showed higher dynamic sensitivity but greater dispersion compared to questionnaires.

The fused method achieved stronger behavioral correlation and higher classification consistency.

Multimodal fusion mitigated the limitations of isolated assessment methods.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multimodal trust assessment approach that integrated electroencephalography (EEG) and self-report questionnaires compared with unimodal methods within the context of lower-limb rehabilitation training. Twenty-one mobility-impaired participants performed tasks using handrails, walkers, and stairs. Synchronized EEG, questionnaire, and behavioral data were collected. EEG trust scores were derived from the alpha-beta power ratio, while subjective trust was assessed via questionnaire. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system was used to fuse these into a composite score. Analyses included variance, correlation, and classification consistency against behavioral ground. Results showed that EEG-based scores had higher dynamic sensitivity (Spearman’s ρ = 0.55) but greater dispersion (Kruskal–Wallis H-test: p = 0.001). Questionnaires were more stable but less temporally precise (ρ = 0.40). The fused method achieved stronger behavioral correlation (ρ = 0.59) and higher classification consistency (κ = 0.69). Cases with discordant unimodal results revealed complementary strengths: EEG captured real-time neural states despite motion artifacts, while questionnaires offered contextual insight prone to bias. Multimodal fusion through fuzzy logic mitigated the limitations of isolated assessment methods. These preliminary findings support integrated measures for adaptive rehabilitation monitoring, though further research with a larger cohort is needed due to the small sample size.

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